Narrative:

I inadvertently penetrated the 4/9351 poplar bluff, missouri presidential tfr on a VFR flight from 4m7 to rbd. I received a standard briefing from louisville AFSS immediately prior to departure. The briefer did not brief me on any tfr's and I did not inquire about any. I was wheels up 15 mins later and proceeded southwest at 8500 ft avoiding the fort campbell, ky, R-3702A, B and memphis class B airspace. I did not file flight plan, nor request flight following, and therefore was not in contact with ATC. The flight path passed 35 NM north of mem, which placed me north of the memphis class B airspace. I contacted memphis flight watch for an en route WX update. After confirming my position report, the briefer immediately informed me that I was inside a tfr, might be intercepted, and suggested exiting to the south. He then gave me the requested WX information. I immediately attempted contact with 3 separate ZME controllers on 134.65, 127.40, and 126.85 to request assistance. The first controller handed me off to another sector more appropriate to my location. Although the frequency was live and active, the second and third controllers did not respond to my call-ups. I continued southwest and eventually established flight following with little rock approach. This controller gave me the phone number of the ZME supervisor and asked me to call him on landing. I did call, as instructed, and was told that he would be filing a pilot deviation on me. I believe this inadvertent penetration occurred for several reasons. The briefer clearly did not mention tfr's to me in the briefing. The tfr was deceivingly named and may have made it difficult for the original briefer to actually relate it to my flight path. There are two 60 NM diameter tfr's embedded in NOTAM 4/9351, each with multiple time windows. I find myself having to re-read the content several times to locate the dimensions and specific time windows and this is after the flight occurred! The tfr I penetrated was centered on the gosnell VOR, co-located with the blytheville, ak airport, and extended a full 83 NM to the south of its namesake, poplar bluff, mo. The fact that it was only active for short intervals of time and not at the time of my briefing may have played a part. My suggestions for corrective action: name tfr's more appropriate to their geographic location. Ensure the FSS briefer can graphically see the tfr's overlain on the flight path being briefed and be able to determine approximately times of effect relative to when the flight will converge on the tfr. FSS briefers should brief on all tfr's pertinent to the flight path. Make tfr's a mandatory part of standard briefings. I could have avoided penetration by requesting VFR flight following from the start. I could have been more aggressive in requesting information on any tfr's during the briefing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MOONEY SINGLE PLT RPTED THAT HE FLEW INTO A TFR DURING A VFR FLT FROM 4M7 TO RBD.

Narrative: I INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED THE 4/9351 POPLAR BLUFF, MISSOURI PRESIDENTIAL TFR ON A VFR FLT FROM 4M7 TO RBD. I RECEIVED A STANDARD BRIEFING FROM LOUISVILLE AFSS IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO DEP. THE BRIEFER DID NOT BRIEF ME ON ANY TFR'S AND I DID NOT INQUIRE ABOUT ANY. I WAS WHEELS UP 15 MINS LATER AND PROCEEDED SW AT 8500 FT AVOIDING THE FORT CAMPBELL, KY, R-3702A, B AND MEMPHIS CLASS B AIRSPACE. I DID NOT FILE FLT PLAN, NOR REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING, AND THEREFORE WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH ATC. THE FLT PATH PASSED 35 NM N OF MEM, WHICH PLACED ME N OF THE MEMPHIS CLASS B AIRSPACE. I CONTACTED MEMPHIS FLT WATCH FOR AN ENRTE WX UPDATE. AFTER CONFIRMING MY POS RPT, THE BRIEFER IMMEDIATELY INFORMED ME THAT I WAS INSIDE A TFR, MIGHT BE INTERCEPTED, AND SUGGESTED EXITING TO THE S. HE THEN GAVE ME THE REQUESTED WX INFO. I IMMEDIATELY ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH 3 SEPARATE ZME CTLRS ON 134.65, 127.40, AND 126.85 TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE. THE FIRST CTLR HANDED ME OFF TO ANOTHER SECTOR MORE APPROPRIATE TO MY LOCATION. ALTHOUGH THE FREQ WAS LIVE AND ACTIVE, THE SECOND AND THIRD CTLRS DID NOT RESPOND TO MY CALL-UPS. I CONTINUED SW AND EVENTUALLY ESTABLISHED FLT FOLLOWING WITH LITTLE ROCK APCH. THIS CTLR GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER OF THE ZME SUPVR AND ASKED ME TO CALL HIM ON LNDG. I DID CALL, AS INSTRUCTED, AND WAS TOLD THAT HE WOULD BE FILING A PLTDEV ON ME. I BELIEVE THIS INADVERTENT PENETRATION OCCURRED FOR SEVERAL REASONS. THE BRIEFER CLRLY DID NOT MENTION TFR'S TO ME IN THE BRIEFING. THE TFR WAS DECEIVINGLY NAMED AND MAY HAVE MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR THE ORIGINAL BRIEFER TO ACTUALLY RELATE IT TO MY FLT PATH. THERE ARE TWO 60 NM DIAMETER TFR'S EMBEDDED IN NOTAM 4/9351, EACH WITH MULTIPLE TIME WINDOWS. I FIND MYSELF HAVING TO RE-READ THE CONTENT SEVERAL TIMES TO LOCATE THE DIMENSIONS AND SPECIFIC TIME WINDOWS AND THIS IS AFTER THE FLT OCCURRED! THE TFR I PENETRATED WAS CTRED ON THE GOSNELL VOR, CO-LOCATED WITH THE BLYTHEVILLE, AK ARPT, AND EXTENDED A FULL 83 NM TO THE S OF ITS NAMESAKE, POPLAR BLUFF, MO. THE FACT THAT IT WAS ONLY ACTIVE FOR SHORT INTERVALS OF TIME AND NOT AT THE TIME OF MY BRIEFING MAY HAVE PLAYED A PART. MY SUGGESTIONS FOR CORRECTIVE ACTION: NAME TFR'S MORE APPROPRIATE TO THEIR GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION. ENSURE THE FSS BRIEFER CAN GRAPHICALLY SEE THE TFR'S OVERLAIN ON THE FLT PATH BEING BRIEFED AND BE ABLE TO DETERMINE APPROX TIMES OF EFFECT RELATIVE TO WHEN THE FLT WILL CONVERGE ON THE TFR. FSS BRIEFERS SHOULD BRIEF ON ALL TFR'S PERTINENT TO THE FLT PATH. MAKE TFR'S A MANDATORY PART OF STANDARD BRIEFINGS. I COULD HAVE AVOIDED PENETRATION BY REQUESTING VFR FLT FOLLOWING FROM THE START. I COULD HAVE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN REQUESTING INFO ON ANY TFR'S DURING THE BRIEFING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.